Belgian Police Arrest Two Fake Officers Targeting Elderly Victims
Police in Turnhout, Belgium, have arrested two individuals who posed as police officers to defraud elderly victims of their savings and valuables. The suspects, a 24-year-old man from the Netherlands and a 16-year-old man from Antwerp, were taken into custody on Friday, August 21, after police intercepted their vehicle using the ANPR camera network, according to VRT NWS.
The Scam
Police received two reports on Thursday, August 20, and Friday, August 21, from elderly residents in Turnhout and the nearby town of Kasterlee. In both cases, the suspects called their victims, claimed to be police officers, and warned of an imminent burglary at their homes.
“Then they offered to come by to secure their belongings,” said Commissioner Benjamin Freriks of Politiezone Regio Turnhout. “The victims trusted the fake officers and gave them their money, jewelry, and bank cards with PIN codes.”
The scheme follows a well-known pattern called a “babbeltruc” (chat trick), in which fraudsters exploit the trust that elderly people place in authority figures. The victims handed over their valuables believing they were protecting them from theft.
How Police Caught the Suspects
The local investigation team launched an immediate inquiry. Using the regional ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) camera network, officers identified a suspicious vehicle linked to the crimes.
“Thanks to the ANPR camera network, we were able to identify a suspicious vehicle,” Freriks said. “Our intervention teams were able to intercept that vehicle on Friday evening in Turnhout.”
Inside the vehicle, police found narcotics, a significant amount of cash, and other items potentially linked to the offenses, as HLN reported.
The adult suspect was brought before the investigating judge and detained. The council chamber will decide on his further detention on Friday, August 28. The minor was placed in a youth institution, according to RTV.
A Growing Problem
The Turnhout arrests highlight a broader and increasingly sophisticated wave of fake police officer scams across Belgium and the Netherlands. The problem has reached record levels in the Netherlands, where 7,200 incidents involving fake police officers were reported in the first half of 2026 alone. While roughly three-quarters of elderly people who receive such calls hang up, about a quarter still fall for the trick, sometimes handing over tens of thousands of euros, as NRC reported.
Belgium has seen similar cases. In July 2026, three suspects were arrested in Mechelen and Londerzeel for defrauding an 81-year-old woman who was tricked by someone posing as a neighborhood inspector. The victim handed over her phone, bank card, and jewelry, and 1,800 euros was withdrawn from her account while 5,000 euros was transferred to a bank account in Portugal, according to VRT NWS.
Police Warning
Politiezone Regio Turnhout had already issued a public warning on August 24, urging residents to stay vigilant. “Be alert: the police will NEVER collect or ask for money, jewelry, bank cards, or PIN codes,” the force stated, as RTV reported.
“These facts show how sophisticated fraudsters work today,” Freriks said. “They deliberately abuse the trust people have in the police. We therefore want to emphasize once again that the police will never ask for or collect money, jewelry, bank cards, or PIN codes.”
What to Do If You Receive Such a Call
Police advise anyone who receives a call from someone claiming to be a police officer, bank employee, or government official to hang up immediately and contact the police directly at 101 or their local police station. They also urge citizens to ask for identification if someone claiming to be an officer comes to their door, and never to open the door if they have doubts.
The investigation in Turnhout continues under the direction of the investigating judge. As the case moves through the judicial system, police across the region are stepping up awareness efforts to protect vulnerable elderly residents from these increasingly sophisticated scams.